Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the ... [more ▼]

Belgium is divided into 3 regions: Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the Walloon region covers 530.600 ha. A first temporary inventory has been realised in the beginning of the 1980s. A new permanent forest inventory is carried out since the beginning of the 1994. The Flemish region will start the first permanent inventory of its 128.600 ha of wooded area in 1997. With only 2.000 ha the Brussels region does not organise a forest inventory up to now. The method used in the Walloon region is summarised below as the Flemish inventory method is quite similar. [less ▲]

in study on european forest information and communication system (1996, September 12)

Belgium is divided into 3 regions : Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the ... [more ▼]

Belgium is divided into 3 regions : Walloon, Flemish and Brussels regions. Each one has its own political autonomy in various fields, in particular the natural resources management. Wooded area in the walloon region covers 530,600 ha. A first temporary inventory has been realised in the beginning of the 1980s. A new permanent forest inventory is carried out since the beginning of the 1994. The Flemish region will start the first permanent inventory of its 128,600 ha of wooded area in 1997. With only 2,000 ha the Brussels region does not organise a forest inventory up to now. The method used in the Walloon region is summarised below as the Flemish inventory method is quite similar. [less ▲]

A permanent forest inventory of the Walloon Region of Belgium is carried out since the beginning of 1994. This report provides an overview of the major required objectives, the methodology used and the ... [more ▼]

A permanent forest inventory of the Walloon Region of Belgium is carried out since the beginning of 1994. This report provides an overview of the major required objectives, the methodology used and the type of expected results. The important role of the forest at the regional level has made increasing demands upon adequate and reliable data useful for industrial development, forest policy, sustainable wood production and ecological considerations. The inventory that has been developed to fulfil such requirements is based upon a systematic sample (grid of 0.5 x 1 km : each point has a weight of 50 hectares) which covers about 530.000 hectares of wooded areas. The ground sample plots consist of 4 circular concentric subplots the radii of which are 2.25m, 4.5 m, 9 m and 18 m corresponding to areas in which only trees belonging to a fixed range of girth are considered. A large set of various data are collected : country-level data, plot-level data and tree-level data. A standardized programming system is used to perform calculations about volumes, areas and growth and to provide classifications "à la carte" presented in various forms such as summary tables, graphics or maps. [less ▲]

Forest planning is more and more made of activities which require to take into account a great amount of various sets of ecological, economical and social data which have to be considered in a diversity ... [more ▼]

Forest planning is more and more made of activities which require to take into account a great amount of various sets of ecological, economical and social data which have to be considered in a diversity of space and time-scales. Facing such complexity the managers need of guidance in coming to the right decision. Some decision support systems are presented and briefly described as concerns nature, objectives and possible applications to concrete situations. [less ▲]

As consequences of CAP reforms, agriculture is presently changing. From the analysis of the present situation, especially in Wallonia, it is necessary to investigate new ways and opportunities of rural ... [more ▼]

As consequences of CAP reforms, agriculture is presently changing. From the analysis of the present situation, especially in Wallonia, it is necessary to investigate new ways and opportunities of rural development. If the diversity of agricultural production systems and the human factors have to be considered, a special attention must also be paid to fields as varied as : pluri-activity, town/village partnership, utility undertakings, landscape maintenance, skilled activities, return to nature, appropriate tourist made. [less ▲]

This paper outlines the first permanent inventory carried out since the beginning of 1994 for monitoring and updating the forest resources in the Walloon region of Belgium (covering about 530.000 hectares ... [more ▼]

This paper outlines the first permanent inventory carried out since the beginning of 1994 for monitoring and updating the forest resources in the Walloon region of Belgium (covering about 530.000 hectares of forests). The so-called inventory is based upon a systematic sampling design which takes into account 1 plot to 50 ha (grid of 0,5 x 1 km). The main objectives are : to continuously monitor the changing situation of forest resources and focus attention on the wooded production, availability and probable trends in the future, to assist the formulation of the medium and the long-term development plan of the forestry sector, to provide information for long-term planning, control and improve general forest management programs. Methodological aspects are given concerning the survey design, the sampling units and the collection of data. The processing of data, the type and the presentation of expencted results are also briefly descriebed. Some recommandations concern the way which could be used in terms of organizational structure and logistical support. [less ▲]

Book published by Faculté universitaire des sciences agronomiques de Gembloux (1995)

Height growth, site index curves and equations for managed even-aged pure stands of douglas-fir under management in the Southern Belgium are presented. They were derived from 256 temporary sample plots ... [more ▼]

Height growth, site index curves and equations for managed even-aged pure stands of douglas-fir under management in the Southern Belgium are presented. They were derived from 256 temporary sample plots, 87 of which were remeasured to give top height periodic increments. The range age and site classes being not equally covered, a special attention was paid to the increments of the total height of dominant trees (1 tree / are of sample plot). A large number of equations were tested to determine which was best suited to express the relationship of age and top height. Regression was employed to fit 4 digitized freehand curves drawn on the average pattern of top heights and top height increments observed at various ages. The form of the JOHNSON-SCHUMACHER model used in this study is : Hdom = b0 exp [-b1/(A-b2)], where : Hdom = top height, A = age, b0, b1 et b2 = coefficients to be estimated by non-linear regression procedures, exp = "e", the base of Naperian logarithms. The coefficients were estimated for the 4 curves. Each of the resulted equations was solved for height at age 50, thereby asigning a site index value to each equation. Site index was introduced into the height-age equation as an independent variable by expressing the coefficients as function of site index itself. Three site index curves corresponding to 36,33 and 30 m attained at age 50 were then derived. The logical issue of this study is to develop a prediction equation based on ecological factors wich should be most correlated with site index. [less ▲]